If you plan to travel to Udaipur, hope that the city has had a good monsoon. It is the rains that fill the lakes to the brim and wash the city of its summer grime. Once again, the city resembles a charming, seductive miniature painting of the Mewar School.
Post monsoon, you will find the walls are a smiling cream or a radiant white, and the caparisoned elephants and horses painted next to welcoming doors sporting a splash of red and indigo. The mango and rayan trees are vibrant green and muted auburn, the skies a brooding grey or a tender crimson. The abandoned ruins muster up an ochre melancholy, and the lively palaces are a shower of gold. The waters provide a silvery sheen, making Udaipur a great place to visit during the monsoon.
The Old City is to the east of Lake Pichola. The city wall is hardly seen, but many areas are still known by the gate names of yore - Suraj Pol, Hathi Pol, etc. The City Palace sits on the east bank of Lake Pichola, with its back towards it. The tourist hub is to the north of City Palace. Fateh Sagar Lake is further north. The train station and the bus stand are just outside the Old City, to the southeast. The airport is 25km from the city centre to the east. Autos here don't run on a metre. There are numerous travel agents around the city centre. It's best to compare rates or ask your hotel to arrange a taxi.
The City Palace is where it all began in the 16th century when Udai Singh met a sage who advised him to establish a city here. Now, the complex is a conglomeration of palaces built over 400 years. It is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan and has a fascinating edifice. Twenty-two maharajas of Udaipur contributed to this structure, and it maintains graceful uniformity. Despite its huge size and the profusion of architectural elements - jharokhas, columns and towers - the elegant palace has an airy lightness. Perhaps that's because of its creamy hue. It also gels easily with the blue waters of Lake Pichola.
Keep aside a few hours to explore the City Palace. Walk up the hill from Jagdish Temple, buy your tickets at Badi Pol, and enter the complex. After Badi Pol, the imposing Tripolia Gate welcomes you, with seven arches or torrents to its left, commemorating the seven times when the maharajas were weighed against silver and gold, which was then distributed amongst the people. On the right is a wall called Agad, across which elephants were made to fight each other - a royal idea of sport. Further ahead is the entrance to the palace building, and above the entrance is the Mewar crest, an image of the Sun God (from whom the Mewar royalty claims to have descended), flanked by a Rajput warrior and a Bhil.
A part of the City Palace Museum in the complex has been designated the Government Museum. Shambhu Niwas is the present home of the royal family. Further south are Fateh Prakash Palace and Shiv Niwas Palace, both luxury hotels today.
Beyond Ganesh Deori, the entrance to the City Palace Museum is a maze of narrow passages, steep staircases, terraces, patios and apartments. Just inside the entrance, where your tickets will be checked, notice the paintings of the important Krishna deities of Mewar Srinathji, Eklingji, and Charbhujaji, all lovely examples of the Mewar School of painting. Now begins a series of mahals and chowks, with their names, dates of construction, and the names of builders displayed prominently. Soon, you will be lost in a world of luxury, indulgence, and comfort. Note the Rajya Aangan, the spot where Udai Singh met the sage.
Chandra Mahal, with its elegant columns and beautiful windows, is a great palace with stunning views of Lake Pichola, its islands and the surrounding hills. Badi Mahal, or Amar Vilas, was built on a rock and ingeniously incorporated into the complex with an enclosed garden. The Kaanch Ki Burj is a chamber with its walls inlaid with red and silver glass. The Krishna Niwas has some remarkable miniature Mewar paintings. A room is dedicated to James Tod, displaying a manuscript of his 'Annals' and his portrait. The Mor Chowk, originally built in 1620, was decked with brilliantly coloured mosaics of three dancing peacocks in the 19th century. The Zenana Mahal has princess apartments.
The Government Museum is also accessed from the Ganesh Deori. They have splendid acquisitions, but a more well-thought-out display can work wonders by way of attraction. There are stone inscriptions from the Mewar region, dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 19th century, and sculptures. One gallery depicts the Mewar tradition of miniature art and includes a series on Krishna-Rukmini. The museum also houses eclectic exhibits, including a turban belonging to Khurram (Shahjahan), who took refuge in Udaipur during a rebellion against Jehangir.
The Crystal Gallery has a profligate display of wealth. In a shopping binge, Rana Sajjan Singh ordered an assortment of crystal objects from F&C Osler of England in 1877. He died before the crystal chairs, beds, sofas, glasses, and dinner sets arrived in Udaipur. Successors thought this was a bad omen, and the extraordinary bequest stayed packed in boxes for 110 years before somebody thought of making money from this misadventure. The rather over-priced admission fee includes the entry charges to the grand Durbar Hall of the Fateh Prakash Palace and a drink in the Gallery Restaurant.
About 2km from the City Palace complex is the Vintage and Classic Car Collection, where about two dozen vehicles are displayed in garages. There's a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II and also a 1939 Cadillac convertible, which transported Jackie Kennedy during her visit to Udaipur.
Built in 1651 in the Indo-Aryan style, the temple is located high above the streets, on a crossroad. The outer walls have carvings typical of Mewar temples. Vishnu, as Jagannath, is the chief deity.
The Haveli, the residence of a former prime minister of the state, Amarchand Badwa, sits right on Lake Pichola. This 18th-century residence has been diligently restored. The 138 rooms around the courtyards evoke the past and exhibit the traditional arts and crafts of the region. Impressive dance performances in the Mewari and Rajasthani traditions are held here every evening at 7 pm.
The cremation site of the royal family of Mewar, Ahar, has an array of cenotaphs of 19 Mewar rulers built over four centuries. The first and the most striking cenotaph is that of Maharana Amar Singh, who, after abdicating his throne, spent his last days in a haveli here. Ahar is also an ancient site with a history going back to 2000 BCE. It is located 2km east of the city centre.
Originally called Sajjan Garh and built by Sajjan Singh of the crystal collection fame, the 19th-century palace was supposed to be an astronomical centre but became a hunting lodge. Perched atop Banswara Hill, this neglected building has a fairy-tale quality. The views, particularly at sunset, are spectacular. It is located 8km west of the city centre. Charges apply for entry and photography. Forest jeep charges are separate.
Udaipur's Maharana Pratap (Dabok) Airport (25km/ 45mins from the city) is connected to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Delhi and Mumbai. Udaipur railway station has speedier connections with Delhi and excellent options from Jaipur. It has good connections from Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Udaipur is on NH48, which links Delhi to Mumbai via Ahmedabad and Jaipur. It is a 9-hour drive from Jaipur, a 14-hour drive from Delhi and a 17-hour drive from Mumbai. Halt for the night at Ajmer on NH58 if driving down from Delhi and at Ahmedabad if coming from Mumbai.
The most scenic and expensive stay options are around Lake Pichola. However, there are scores of budget and mid-range hotels close to Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake.
Udaipur is bursting with rooftop cafes, lake-view eaterie,s and restaurants on the lake, but the fare may not always be up topark. Most serve passable Indian and Continental food. For more information, click here.
Visit from October to February, though July to August, when it rains, is also pleasant. Avoid summer.